Overexpression of TBX3 transcription factor as a potential diagnostic marker for breast cancer.

The T-box 3 (TBX3) transcription factor has been shown to serve multiple roles in normal development. Recent findings have revealed that TBX3 is overexpressed in different types of carcinomas, including breast, cervical, ovarian, melanoma, pancreatic, lung, liver, bladder, head and neck. Therefore, the present study investigated the significance of TBX3 as a diagnostic marker of breast cancer. To achieve this aim, breast cancer samples and their adjacent normal tissues were collected from 51 breast cancer patients from the European Gaza hospital during 2015-2016. Sections from each sample were immune-stained by anti-TBX3 and suitable secondary and tertiary antibodies. TBX3 levels were evaluated in cancerous and normal samples. Clinicopathological data for each patient were documented. The correlation between TBX3 levels and the clinicopathological parameters were statistically tested. The results revealed that TBX3 is significantly overexpressed in breast cancer tissues when compared with normal tissues. Furthermore, TBX3 was mainly a cytoplasmic protein in normal and breast cancer tissues. Notably, TBX3 levels exhibited a sensitivity of 78.4%, specificity of 79.6%, accuracy of 79% and area under the curve of 0.791 (0.700-0.882) at a cut-off value=9 as breast cancer marker. However, no significant associations were observed between TBX3 levels and other breast cancer markers including oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, cancer antigen 15-3 and breast cancer stages. Altogether, these results suggested that TBX3 overexpression may be a potential biomarker for breast cancer.

Histopathological study of Enterobius vermicularis among appendicitis patients in Gaza strip, Palestine.

Enterobius vermicularis is one of the most common intestinal parasite in human. The main objective of this study is to determine the role of E. vermicularis in appendicitis through histopathological examination. A cross sectional study included 200 patients who had appendectomy from three hospitals in Gaza strip. The inflamed appendix was the cause of attending the hospital. Histopathological examination for each appendix was carried out. A questionnaire was designed (interview with patients who underwent appendectomy), and information were obtained from patient and analyzed by using SPSS. The study showed that 30 (15.0 %) of 200 appendices had E. vermicularis in histopathological examination. It was found that ages of patients with histologically proven E. vermicularis in appendices less than 18 years old was found to be (18.2 %). Regarding sex, (16.5 %) of females, (14.0 %) of males patients had E. vermicularis in appendices. Patients who had the highest infection with E. vermicularis were students (17.3 %). In conclusion E. vermicularis occurs more frequently inflamed appendices than in normal. From these results we can conclude that E. vermicularis could be associated to cause of appendicitis in Gaza strip.

Panel of five microRNAs as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and assessment of male infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To validate a set of five microRNAs (miRNAs) as specific biomarkers for the assessment of male infertility. DESIGN: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation study. SETTING: University research and clinical institutes. PATIENT(S): Two hundred twenty-six men presenting at an infertility clinic. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Validation analysis of a set of miRNAs in human purified spermatozoa and testicular biopsies. RESULT(S): Five miRNAs (hsa-miR-34b*, hsa-miR-34b, hsa-miR-34c-5p, hsa-miR-429, and hsa-miR-122) were confirmed with the use of qRT-PCR analysis in validation sets in patients with different forms of spermatogenic impairments (subfertile and nonobstructive azoospermia [NOA]) and control subjects. We found that hsa-miR-429 was significantly increased and the four other miRNAs were decreased in both tested groups compared with normal control subjects. Computing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value for each of the five miRNAs, we showed that they separated the tested groups with high accuracy (range 0.777-0.988), except for hsa-miR-429 (AUC 0.475), in patient samples with NOA. Furthermore, with the use of support vector machine classification combining these five miRNAs, we found that they discriminated individuals with, respectively, subfertility and NOA from control subjects with an accuracy of 98.65% and 99.91%, a specificity of 98.44% and 99.69%, and a sensitivity of 98.83% and 100%. CONCLUSION(S): Our finding suggests that these five miRNAs have potential as novel noninvasive biomarkers to diagnose patients with subfertility. Except for hsa-miR-429, the combination of these miRNAs with other conventional tests would improve the diagnostic accuracy for detecting patients with different forms of NOA.

Homocysteine and vitamin B12 status and iron deficiency anemia in female university students from Gaza Strip, Palestine.

OBJECTIVE: Nutritional deficiencies are very significant to the overall health of humans at all ages and for both genders, yet in infants, children and women of childbearing age these deficiencies can seriously affect growth and development. The present work is aimed to assess homocysteine and vitamin B12 status in females with iron deficiency anemia from the Gaza Strip. METHODS: Venous blood samples were randomly collected from 240 female university students (18-22 years old) and parameters of the complete blood count, serum ferritin, homocysteine and vitamin B12 were measured. Statistical analysis included the t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the IBM SPSS software (version 18). Statistical significance was set for p-values <0.05. RESULTS: The results revealed that 20.4% of the students have iron deficiency anemia. The mean serum vitamin B12 level in females with iron deficiency anemia (212.9±62.8pg/mL) was significantly lower than in normal controls (286.9±57.1pg/mL) and subjects with microcytic anemia and normal ferritin (256.7±71.1pg/mL). Significantly higher serum homocysteine levels were reported in the iron deficiency anemia group (27.0±4.6µmol/L) compared to normal controls (15.5±2.9µmol/L) and in subjects with microcytic anemia and normal ferritin (18.1±2.7µmol/L). Statistically significant negative correlations were reported for serum homocysteine with serum ferritin, vitamin B12, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels. CONCLUSION: Important associations were found between serum homocysteine and markers of iron deficiency. Monitoring homocysteine levels might be essential to understand the development of different clinical conditions including anemia. It seems necessary to conduct prospective trials to determine whether treating anemia ameliorates homocysteine levels.

Homocysteine and vitamin B 12 status and iron deficiency anemia in female university students from Gaza Strip, Palestine

OBJECTIVE: Nutritional deficiencies are very significant to the overall health of humans at all ages and for both genders, yet in infants, children and women of childbearing age these deficiencies can seriously affect growth and development. The present work is aimed to assess homocysteine and vitamin B12 status in females with iron deficiency anemia from the Gaza Strip. METHODS: Venous blood samples were randomly collected from 240 female university students (18-22 years old) and parameters of the complete blood count, serum ferritin, homocysteine and vitamin B12 were measured. Statistical analysis included the t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the IBM SPSS software (version 18). Statistical significance was set for p-values <0.05. RESULTS: The results revealed that 20.4% of the students have iron deficiency anemia. The mean serum vitamin B12 level in females with iron deficiency anemia (212.9 ± 62.8 pg/mL) was significantly lower than in normal controls (286.9 ± 57.1 pg/mL) and subjects with microcytic anemia and normal ferritin (256.7 ± 71.1 pg/mL). Significantly higher serum homocysteine levels were reported in the iron deficiency anemia group (27.0 ± 4.6 µmol/L) compared to normal controls (15.5 ± 2.9 µmol/L) and in subjects with microcytic anemia and normal ferritin (18.1 ± 2.7 µmol/L). Statistically significant negative correlations were reported for serum homocysteine with serum ferritin, vitamin B12, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels. CONCLUSION: Important associations were found between serum homocysteine and markers of iron deficiency. Monitoring homocysteine levels might be essential to understand the development of different clinical conditions including anemia. It seems necessary to conduct prospective trials to determine whether treating anemia ameliorates homocysteine levels. .

MicroRNA expression profiles in human testicular tissues of infertile men with different histopathologic patterns.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression profiles of microRNA (miRNA) in human testes showing different histopathological patterns. DESIGN: Microarray with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation. SETTING: University research and clinical institutes. PATIENT(S): Azoospermic men who underwent testicular biopsy for sperm recovery in preparation for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. INTERVENTION(S): Testicular biopsies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Statistically significantly altered miRNA expression profiles among the testicular histopathologic patterns groups compared with normal pattern group. RESULT(S): According to miRNA array, a total of 197, 68, and 46 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed when comparing the samples from Sertoli cell only (SCO), mixed atrophy (MA), and germ cell arrest (GA) groups, respectively, with normal spermatogenesis (N). Five miRNAs have been validated using qRT-PCR, and the results were consistent with miRNA array analysis. Bioinformatics analysis showed that five microRNAs (hsa-mir-34b*, hsa-mir-34b, hsa-mir-34c-5p, hsa-mir-449a, and hsa-mir-449b*) were involved in apoptosis, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Notably, potential target genes of these five miRNAs were involved in the spermatogenesis process. CONCLUSION(S): This study provides new insights into specific miRNAs that are expressed in infertile men with different histopathologic patterns, suggesting a role of miRNAs in regulating male germ and somatic cells and that their alteration is associated with reproductive abnormalities.